Hey, squaddies!

Love is in the air and you know what that means… GET YOUR GAS MASK ON, SOLDIER! You don’t want that in your lungs. Whether your partner has a ring or a chevron, we’ve got some weekend action for you!

All Day
Dodging arrows, waiting for cheap candy, playing Squad. (We love you, bae.)

12:00 PM PT (2000 UTC)
Project Awesome: Operation Red Turtle Down

2:30 PM PT (2230 UTC)
Squad Ops: SOTT Basic

5:30 PM PT (0130 UTC, 15/2)
Squad Ops: Operation Wicked Bridges

12:30 AM PT (0830 UTC)
Rivals: SPECTRE vs ULD

10:00 AM PT (1800 UTC)
Rivals: Split vs ProG

10:00 AM PT (1800 UTC)
Rivals: IL vs SRG

10:15 AM PT (1815 UTC)
Rivals: NW vs Rogue

11:00 AM PT (1900 UTC)
Rivals: TLR vs BLUFOR

11:00 AM PT (1900 UTC)
Rivals: SQD vs HSR

11:00 AM PT (1900 UTC)
[RIP] Rusty in Places vs. The World

11:30 AM PT (1930 UTC)
Rivals: 1BJ vs FaT

11:30 AM PT (1930 UTC)
Rivals: P2 vs RB


Good luck to everyone this weekend! We’ll see you on the flipside.


Would you like to see your event here? Let us know.

Hey, squaddies!

Welcome to February! The Pluto of months. Oh sure, it’s trying with the whole Leap Day thing, but we all know it’s barely a month. Still, that’s no reason not to pack it full of Squad. Let’s kick it off with a special call to arms from the Aussie Mod Team!



We know it’s rather difficult to read a clock upsidedown, here’s a helpful link to find it in every timezone. You can also join their Discord for updates!

5:30 PM PT (0130 UTC, 7/2)

Squad Ops: SOTT Basic

4:00 PM PT (Midnight UTC, 8/2)

Midnight Interactive: Aussie Mod Playtest


The first untethered spacewalk took place in 1984.

5:30 PM PT (0130 UTC, 8/2)

Squad Ops: Regular Event


In 1944, the Germans launch a counterattack against the Allied beachhead near Anzio, Italy.

12:00 PM PT (2000 UTC)

Armoured Warfare One Life Event

11:00 AM PT (1900 UTC)

[RIP] Rusty in Places vs. The World

2:30 PM PT (2230 UTC)

Squad Ops: SOTT Basic


Famous French novelist Jules Verne was born on this day in 1828.

12:30 PM PT (2030 UTC)

Squad Ops: SOTT Basic


We’re going to be over here practicing our Australian accents. Digeridoo! Fosters!


Would you like to see your event here? Let us know.

Hey squaddies!

We’re fresh into a new year and that means it’s time to take a look ahead at what that means for Squad! First and foremost, we’d like to introduce you to our new producer: Arnaud Lebesnerais. Arnaud has been with us for a little bit now and has been quietly kicking our butts back into gear, so we figured it was high time you got to know him as well.

Oh, and don’t worry, your beloved UAV/Producer Phil is on-station.



Greetings Squaddies!

My name is Arnaud “Arno” Lebesnerais, Producer on Squad.

While I may be new to OWI, I come from a background of games ranging from FIFA, Need For Speed, Dawn of War, Space Marine, all the way over to Company of Heroes. Which, of course, brings us to Squad. Well, why am I here?

The reason for me joining the group is simple: OWI is expanding and Phil is getting into a bigger role! While still overseeing Squad, he is taking on a more strategic role within the organization and he needed to get someone to lead Squad’s development.



We are both working closely to get Squad into its next phase so rest assured that you are all still in the same good hands as ever. I have always been an FPS fan, but our industry is still producing too many samey games and Squad is only one of the few pushing boundaries. So I can truly say it is an honor to join the Squad Community!

I’ve been busy getting up to speed on the last year of Squad, which saw a lot of updates: entering Beta, the initial release of Commander, helicopters took flight, the Canadian Armed Forces joined the fray, the first batch of tutorials was released, and we even saw Territory Control, all the way back in… *checks notes* Was it really just June?! Those are some pretty big shoes to fill, but I think the team is up to the challenge!



For 2020, we want to further build on this momentum and we have been working on a list of content ranging from quality of life updates to brand new content. For the next 11 months, we want to hit a cadence of updates that will improve the game in general from optimisation to new factions.

But first and foremost, I would like to focus on tying a lot of loose ends that are currently still happening in the game and are impeding your gameplay experience. These are crashes, performance, gameplay issues, and other Quality of Life improvements that need to be done.

Looking forward to this year, I can assure you we will do our very best to make Squad the greatest Tactical FPS game of 2020. (And for many years to come.) To support this vision, we want to introduce:

• New theatres of war.
• New factions.
• New tools for Events and Competitions
• Enhance the modding support from which Squad is built upon.
• Boost an already thriving community so that it can continue cross-pollinating content.
• Improve our game modes and tweak and balance our content, all the while listening to your feedback.

While we want to deliver all this at a level of excellence that squaddies expect for such a quality title, it will take time to achieve. We will do our best to be as transparent as possible and we appreciate your patience while we work on these throughout the year.



As YOUR involvement which is one of the main reasons why Squad is so incredible, we’re going to continue to focus on developing events, competitions, and modding support. Our goal is to continue to grow that involvement and we want to create more tools to support these endeavors.

On that note, we applaud the tremendous events and leagues like the Squad Community Cup, Squad World Championships, Here Come The Girls, and Squad Charity League for giving so much back to the community with the game they love!



Finally, it is a real honor to be part of such a group. In my 16 years of experience in this industry, Squad is literally the best community far and wide. I have met the kindest players on the Squad servers, welcoming newbs and willing to educate each other on the depths of gameplay.

We will make sure that Squad keeps delivering the expected quality content for your enjoyment.

See you on the battlefield, squaddies.

Dismissed.

A.L.

Hey, squaddies!

January’s nearly in the bag, but that doesn’t mean we can’t keep having a blast! We’ve got a special shoutout this week: Royal Battalion is hosting Here Come The Girls to benefit the World Wildlife Fund! Charity: it does a squaddie good.



5:30 PM PT (0130 UTC, 24/1)

Squad Ops: Operation Broken Crossbow

5:30 PM PT (0130 UTC, 25/1)

Squad Ops: Regular Event

All Day

Official Squad Showdown Signups Open

11:00 AM PT (1900 UTC)

[RIP] Rusty in Places vs. The World

11:30 AM PT (1930 UTC)

Squad Ops: Crazy Horse

2:30 PM PT (2230 UTC)

Squad Ops: SOTT Basic

11:00 AM PT (1900 UTC)

Here Come the Girls: Benefiting the WWF


Something about today seems familiar… Was that a rodent?!


See you in February, folks! Enjoy The Big Game and/or massive snacking, elsewise beware of shadows.


Would you like to see your event here? Let us know.

Hey squaddies,

Welcome to the first Wrench of a new year! Hopefully, you’ve all had a chance to enjoy some holiday rest, because we’re back in business with some impressive modding updates. And don’t forget, we’ve officially released the first batch of whitelisted mods.

Without further ado, let’s see who may be in the running for the next batch!




Noxxid3 has spent the holiday season returning to an old favorite, Ramiel. Not only has the dock area been completely revamped, but the landscape has been resculpted with new brushes, providing a more realistic feel. (A special shout-out to Assi for some pointers!) Things are looking a little less clay-like overall.



While looking great, Ramiel isn’t full complete: Noxxid3 has some big plans. Items on the agenda include finishing the Ramiel soundtrack, improvements to rock and ground clutter, expanded areas and points of interest, with an eye toward making it as close to a 1-to-1 recreation of the old PR favorite as possible. In short, it’s going to get even more awesome.



Anyone who’s looking to help test is welcome to get in touch. Special accommodations will be made for Gary.




Gaza also comes to us from the storied past of Project Reality and is definitely a welcome addition to The Wrench! Daresios is setting out to recreate the feel of Gaza from the good old days, though you’ll likely notice some redesigns to the original map, created by Outlaw7. (Outlaw7 has kindly given his blessing, so it has a genuine Seal of Authenticity!)



The buildings and terrain of the map will be the most notable differences. Never fear, though: this 2×2 km map will feature no small amount of accessible buildings, rooftops, balconies, and terrifyingly narrow alleyways. Love asymmetric warfare? Looking to up your parkour game? Hot damn does Daresios have a treat for you!

You might notice a new faction between bouts of CQB: Hamas. A classic PR faction will make its return based on retextured Insurgent and Militia models. Loadouts will vary from the regular Insurgent faction, but you should look there for inspiration and tactics.



You can get involved or just keep up to date by joining the Gaza Mod Discord.




The Bundeswehr Mod Team sends along a pretty stunning update, featuring all sorts of on-going weapon development. Included are the HK P8A1 by .:Jinjer, progress on the 120mm Tampella mortar by Pollack, and last, but not least, w0lf3k is just warming up his animation skills on the HK G36A3.





In case you missed it back in December, the team published their first blog post, revealing their development schedule for both map and faction. Check out all the news you can use right here or hop in their Discord server to be there as news breaks!






The holidays have a tendency to derail even the best plans, but SPECTR_Eternal and the AVR Mod Team managed to push through and deliver an update on Iron Dawn!



Even better, they’re anticipating that performance playtesting should begin in mid-to-late February.



Today’s offering includes some cheeky pieces of AVR armor, as well as a segment of Iron Dawn showcasing a ruined highway section with battle-scarred checkpoints. If you want to see what else they’ve been up to, be sure to join their Discord.




Fresh from the whitelisting of Harju, wunda brings the fight back to the Balakin Munitions Factory outside of Rostov-on-Don with a major overhaul of Raid On Rostov.



Updated to meet Squad’s more recent visual expectations and moving from 1.5km to a full 4km map. The battle now extends outside the factory into farms and the forest.



We think it’s looking amazing and can’t wait to give it a playtest!




Another one with the honor of being first among the whitelisted, the ProMod Team sends along an update to show us what they’ve been up to in the meantime. Notably, they’ve performed a graphical update to the much-beloved Operation First Light. Also included are the new stabilized Warrior and CROWS Bulldog variants, giving the British forces a usability upgrade.



Speaking of upgrades, they are also currently in the prototyping phase of Hex Capture Chains for Territory control. What’s that, you ask? They’ve conveniently already answered!

#Discussions_QuoteBlock_Author

“This will allow us to give ticket gain when a team captures X amount of hexes in a row without losing one. We think this system is a lot smarter than simply awarding ticket gain on each individual hex as that has the danger of giving too many tickets on back and forth capture instead of only rewarding a team that manages to capture a considerable amount of territory all at once. We look forward to implementing and testing this in the very near future and think it will vastly improve TC, especially at a competitive level.”

It sounds like a solid move. It should be interesting to see where they take Territory Control next! Promod is freely available on the Steam Workshop.




Alac claims he’s “getting there, slowly,” but Svinesund is looking better than ever. In fact, he’s just released a freshly cooked playable layer to the Workshop. The layer features both tanks and choppers, so be sure to give it a floor run and see how it plays. He’s also planning to submit it for whitelisting.



As part of that quest, Alac has been focusing on optimization to make sure the map performs on a level that discerning squaddies have come to expect.



With additional community testing, honing in on cap zones and other refinements should be the last big step, so be sure to give Alac your feedback!




Bigyes assures us we’ll be getting our daily allotment of alphabet soup, “M.E.E. adds four new factions, USSF, RUSF, SAF, and IS.” The mod, of course, doesn’t stop there but moves right on into a desert-themed reinterpretation of Op FL known as Operation Desert Light.



Want more? You got it! Bigyes reports there are also significant gameplay changes, getting started with vault cancellation, increased lean angle, a modified stamina system, recoil changes, and more!



Better yet, you can download the mod right now on the Steam Workshop, where future updates will include a new map, commander changes, and new character models. Hooo boy, there’s a lot going on!




The ATHENA Team has big ambitions: to turn Squad into a sandbox that allows for experimentation with ideas and concepts that further the teamwork-driven experience while rewarding personal skill. Or, put more simply, they want to put you in control of what makes Squad play like Squad.

ATHENA hopes to keep Squad accessible to new players while offering a way for enthusiasts to up the level of public play — all skill levels welcome.

The team has some impressive plans for the future, including a robust medic overhaul ranging from revive mechanics to bleed and bandaging changes. If you’d like to know more, head over to their Discord server to stay informed!




With the end very much in view, the entire Aussie Team (or as those in the know know ’em: Midnight Interactive) wants to extend their profuse thanks for all the on-going support, feedback, and testing!



They’ve passed along some images of the PWS, the pilot, and, if we do say so ourselves, some delicious, delicious eye candy.



You can help test the mod, or be the first to see them sneak out some new character models, but joining their Discord server.


If you’re still looking for a New Years’ resolution, the modding community has an easy one for you: play more Squad! See you next month, soldier.

Would you like to see your mod featured in The Wrench? Let us know by submitting it here!


Please note: Offworld Industries is not responsible for mod content. Please contact the creator for assistance.

Hey, squaddies!

The folks at Squad Ops have some pretty killer events lined up for us this weekend, but don’t forget to look ahead to next week when the Squad Community Cup Finals determine league champions! You can always find Squad events by visiting our calendar. Check out the link at the bottom to get your event featured!

5:30 PM PT (0130 UTC, 24/1)
Squad Ops: SOTT Basic

On this day in 1855, John Browning was born. He would go on to create firearms still in use today, like the M1911 pistol.

5:30 PM PT (0130 UTC, 25/1)
Squad Ops: MARS Scenario (Long Session)

In 1908, Robert Baden-Powell published Scouting for Boys in England, leading to the birth of the Boy Scouts.

11:00 AM PT (1900 UTC)
[RIP] Rusty in Places vs. The World

11:30 AM PT (1930 UTC)
Squad Ops: Operation Spartan Trail

2:30 PM PT (2230 UTC)
Squad Ops: SOTT Basic

Raise a glass for Robert Burns Day! Scots Wha Hae!

12:30 PM PT (2030 UTC)
Squad Ops: SOTT Basic

The Squad Community Cup will be broadcasting their finals next week. Check out their Discord server for more information!

We’ll see you on Monday, squaddies. Don’t let anyone steal your red stapler.

Would you like to see your event here? Let us know.

First, a huge thank you to all of the modders and testers that came out last week to make sure everything was ready to roll! (Not sure what whitelisting is? Click here!)

Before you head off for all the fun, we have a few things you should know first.

Due to the way the mod versioning check works, clients are currently required to have both the Windows and the Linux files for a given modification. (This is due to needing to be compatible to both Windows and Linux servers.) As a result, client files are effectively double the size they should be. This will be addressed in a future update and we appreciate your patience. (And your bandwidth.) We recommend monitoring your installed modifications if you run into disk space issues for the time being.

To see what modifications you have installed, navigate to https://steamcommunity.com/ and log in. Then, from the top menu, navigate to Community, then to Workshop. On that page, scroll down until you see “Your Workshop Files” on the right side of the screen. Click on “My Files” and proceed to the next screen. Click on “Subscribed items” to view your installed modifications.

Note: Manually deleting a modification without unsubscribing may cause your client to crash. To properly uninstall a mod, please unsubscribe through the Steam Workshop.

Without further ado, we’re proud to announce the first officially whitelisted modifications for Squad! Here’s your first graduating class, squaddies:



Please welcome Harju, a map for Squad by wunda, to the whitelist! Harju has the stage set by the arrival of Russian Expeditionary Forces just outside of the fictional town on the brink of war. In retaliation for the Battle of Narva, the Finnish coastline has been the target of raiding and a NATO carrier group is being deployed to bolster defensive forces aiming to repel the invasion.

At 4 km, Harju provides a variety of tactically challenging locales, building around a large bay separating the urban town center from the surrounding forest and farmland. The southern peninsula is home to residential housing, farmland, and a large industrial port. wunda‘s map currently supports at least three weather variations, your favorite modes, and more is on the way!


 

Forged in the fires of Squad’s competitive community (especially the Squad World Championships), Squad ProMod sets out to rebalance Squad’s meta, as well as give server owners and event organizers unprecedented control. Further, they’ve managed to enhance the Squad experience by providing better support for streamers and casters — something we can all enjoy!

With over 45 custom layers, ProMod not only tweaks game modes, game mechanics, and the maps themselves, it revives some of your favorites like Operation First Light. Chora and Fool’s Road have also been optimized for competitive play, making sure there’s no shortage of classic Squad play. Even better, they’ve set out to improve lightning and terrain wherever they can, really elevating the visual appearance of the mod. This action-packed package also includes layers with CAS helicopter support implemented by the ProMod team!

You can find a full list of features here. Congratulations and welcome to the whitelist, folks!




Another amazing modification born out of the milsim community of squaddies playing with squaddies, we welcome the Squad Ops Hardcore mod to the whitelist! While the maps addon isn’t quite ready yet, there’s no shortage of changes included in this package.

Squad Ops Hardcore Mod aims to create a focus on tactical and intense Squad gameplay through respawning changes, weapon rebalancing, Commander mode reworks, as well as addition (and reworked) kits! We’ve even heard they might have some surprises floating around. The gameplay modifications aim for a more realistic and immersive “hardcore’ experience through new kits, spawning options such as a specialized recon kit with a suppressed carbine for squadmates to spawn on. SquadOpsHC also features its own CAS helicopter implementation.

Note: The custom maps add-on did not pass initial testing, however that still leaves an astonishing 76 layers to play while the map pack is updated!

Be sure to check out the complete documentation to see what else the team has achieved.

Hey squaddies!

We’re extremely excited to announce the beginning of our partnership with Operation Supply Drop’s Games to Grunts Program! This means that Offworld Games like Squad and Post Scriptum will be available to any member of the military community that qualifies! (You can find OSD’s requirements here, or get started with an ID.me account here.)



Games to Grunts: Squad

Offworld Industries would not be here without the dedicated work of veterans around the world, both on and off the team, and we’re delighted to be able to give a little something fun back. We hope you’ll help spread the word to your pals in uniform!


OSD is a Veteran Support Ecosystem enhancing veteran’s lives through community engagement. Since 2010, OSD has impacted over 900,000 veterans, active military, and their family members through award-winning programs emphasizing Social Connectivity, Professional Development, and Community Service. Learn more about OSD at https://weareosd.org/

Games to Grunts is an OSD Social Connectivity program providing video games to members of the military community via digital download codes. The program was started as a direct result of the trends in the gaming industry towards digital distribution.

They've become experts at putting games in the hands of troops and have learned a lot while distributing over 1,000,000 games since 2010. Because OSD is first and foremost about community support, we noticed that the mechanism for getting games to troops hindered our ability to loop those we serve back into the community to provide them and their families further support. Digital Key distribution, preceding the Games to Grunts program, required sending a spreadsheet with gaming keys to a single point of contact on a post or in a unit, keeping us from cultivating a relationship at the individual level. Games to Grunts now solves this challenge by connecting OSD to the recipient ensuring they benefit from their services in a more personal and direct way while enjoyed great games from partners supporting our military.

Hey, squaddies!

We trust everyone is well-rested after the winter holidays and sufficiently fueled ready for a new year of Squad community antics. We’re straight into 2020 with the regular favourites for this first installment of this year’s Weekend Roundup!

5:30 PM PT (0130 UTC, 9/1)
Squad Ops: Operation Frozen Dinner

12:30 PM PT (1930 UTC)
Squad Community Cup: ProG vs Blood Jaegers

Squad Community Cup: Husaria vs Franco-German Brigade

On this day in 1942, the US Joint Chiefs of Staff positions were created.

11:00 AM PT (1800 UTC)
[RIP] Rusty in Places vs. The World

5:30 PM PT (0130 UTC, 10/1)
Squad Ops: Operation Sleeping Serpents Part 1

12:30 PM PT (1930 UTC)
Squad Ops: Operation Sleeping Serpents Part 2

5:30 PM PT (0130 UTC, 12/1)
Squad Ops: Operation Sleeping Serpents Part 3

The Royal Aeronautical Society is formed in London on this day in 1866.
Settle yourself in the new year and back into a routine with this weekend’s community events!


Would you like to see your event here? Let us know.

Hey soldiers!

You stormed the Black Friday gates, didn’t get hacked on Cyber Monday, and may have even survived Thanksgiving with the family. Why not get a little fun going this time?



Squad will be 20% off for the Steam Winter sale! If you’ve been waiting to treat yourself or that special someone to an artillery barrage, there’s no time like the present.


While we have your attention, we wanted to let you know that Offworld Industries will be on Winter Break beginning on December 21st. We’ll be back in the office on Monday, January 6th, but please be aware that response times will be slower at this time as we operate with reduced staff.

We hope you all have a chance to enjoy a seasonal celebration with your loved ones and we appreciate all the love you've given us throughout the year! Here's to an even more awesome 2020!